Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

All-of-a-kind family hanukkah | by Jenkins, Emily

Gertie, the youngest of five children, wants to help her mother cook for their family dinner on the first night of Hanukkah in New York City’s Lower East Side. After many attempts of trying to help in the busy kitchen, Gertie is sent to her room by her mother and is eventually called down for dinner by her dad. In order to get her to come downstairs, Gertie’s father asks for her helping to light the candles of the menorah for the first time and Gertie happily accepts the offer.

Keywords: author's note, body parts, books, celebration, cooking, fire, food, freedom, frustration, hanukkah, hebrew, helping, history, holidays, illustrator's note, Jewish, learning, numbers, nutrition, preparation, siblings, singing, traditions

Action! How movies began | by McCarthy, Meghan

Movies are an important part of our society today, but they have not always been what we see in theaters. From the Kinetoscope to black and white film, and from soundless productions to special effects, the movie industry has evolved over time to make what we see and enjoy today!

Keywords: african american, author's note, careers, colors, emotions, five senses, generations, history, inventions, movies, multicultural, photograph, photography, sequence, shadows, sounds, technology, time, vision

Fry bread: A Native American family story | by Maillard, Kevin Noble

Children help a Native American grandmother make fry bread while learning about the history, social ways, food, art, and politics of America's 573 recognized Indian tribes.

Keywords: america, art, author's note, baking, colors, diversity, five senses, food, friendship, geography, heritage, history, native american, nutrition, preparation, recipe, sounds, storytelling, variety

Sweet justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery bus boycott | by Rockliff, Mara

Georgia Gilmore heard about Mrs. Rosa Parks who had been arrested when she wouldn't give up her seat to a black man on a city bus in 1955. But something was also cooking in Montgomery, Alabama about the same time -- a woman who cooked to feed and fund the people willing to participate in the Montgomery fun boycott. Georgia knew there was no justice under segregation so she boycotted the arrest of Mrs. Parks by staying off the city buses for one day. In order to get others to stay off the buses for one day, Georgia cooked and sold her crispy chicken, sandwiches, cakes, and pies to pay off the…

Keywords: african american, author's note, boycott, bus, change, church, civil rights, courage, food, government, history, justice, law, leadership, money, multicultural, perspective, segregation, transportation

Plants can't sit still | by Hirsch, Rebecca E.

Plants can wiggle, whirl, and hide. Some plants can bloom by the moon and other plants sleep at night. Plants can walk up a wall and climb a fence. All plants just can't sit still and are always actively moving. Come to learn about seeds built for travel as they whirl, float, and glide into action and take a ride on humans and animals.

Keywords: author's note, growth, life, plants, variety, verbs, wildlife

Crown: An ode to the fresh cut | by Barnes, Derrick

A boy goes to the barbershop to get a haircut. As he sits there, he notices everyone around him, gaining confidence with each unique style. Once his haircut is complete, the boy feels ready to accomplish anything with a newfound conviction and trust in himself.

Keywords: author's note, careers, confidence, friendship, instruments, music, perspective, pride

Ida B. Wells, voice of truth | by Duster, Michelle

Ira B. Wells was an educator, feminist, and anti-lynching civil rights leader who founded many important clubs for African Americans. Even when faced with threats and criticisms, Ida B. Wells still kept writing, speaking, and traveling to challenge the racist and sexist norms of her time and leading the fight for justice and equality as a leader who made a difference for us all.

Keywords: african american, author's note, careers, change, children, correspondence, courage, education, equality, justice, leadership, loss, marriage, multicultural, newspaper, organizations, photograph, politics, racism, slavery, suffrage, teaching, technology, train, transportation, travel, truth

A home in the barn | by Brown, Margaret Wise

In the winter, it is too cold for the animals to be outside but the barn is warm. All the horses, cattle, mice, birds, and cats stay there together to keep away from the cold. Even though there are a lot of animals in the barn, they all get along and help to keep each other warm.

Keywords: african american, animals, author's note, baby, barn, birds, birth, bluejay, cardinal, cat, chicken, cold, cow, dog, farm, goat, horse, insects, mouse, multicultural, night, onomatopoeia, pig, pony, problem solving, rhyme, rhythm, sparrow, squirrel, time, wasp, winter

A land of books: Dreams of young Mexihcah word painters | by Topnatiuh, Duncan

Aztec artists living in Mesoamerica painted beautifully crafted books to keep the knowledge, culture, and history of the Mexihcah (also known as the Aztec). The process of making paper and obtaining dyes from plants, animals, and rocks is explained, then the way that a painter of words and images will share their work to be sung by a reader in a land of books.

Keywords: art, author's note, books, calendar, careers, colors, culture, history, images, interpretation, language, native american, nature, sequence

Seven spools of thread | by Medearis, Angela

Whether working on their family farm or eating dinner, the seven Ashanti brothers always fight amongst themselves to the dismay of their father. However, when their father passed away, the seven Ashanti brothers were tasked with creating gold from seven different color spools of thread. After completing this seemingly impossible task by working together, the brothers taught their community the value of the lessons they learned.

Keywords: african, argument, author's note, colors, communication, culture, fable, farm, ghana, language, peace, problem solving, siblings, success, support, teamwork, vocabulary, weaving

Still dreaming = Seguimos sonando | by Martinez, Claudia Guadalupe

Many workers from Mexico leave their homeland with their families to a land of opportunity where they dream to live a life without borders. A young boy and his parents drive their car far away until there are no city lights. Papa sings a sweet sad song on the side of the road where there are other people at a campfire. The boy eventually learns that the laborers worked in Alaska, Los Angeles, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas, and Chicago, and they cross the border together to find answers to their dreams.

Keywords: america, author's note, border, butterfly, California, car, farmer, fishing, food, geography, hard work, history, immigrants, language, maps, Mexico, moon, music, neighbors, newspaper, ship, sleep, spanish, stars, train, transportation, travel

Magic: Once upon a faraway land | by Ortega, Mirelle

Once upon a faraway land in Mexico, a young girl highlights her grandfather's pineapple farm, her mom's wool blanket weaving, and her dad's sketches for making stone buildings. She reflects on the way that magic can change things for better and for worse. She loves the beautiful music and sounds that are woven together for people to dance. She also admires her fingertips as an artist when blank pages become pictures to share with others.

Keywords: author's note, body parts, careers, celebration, dancing, Day of the Dead, drawing, farm, food, fruit, games, holidays, magic, Mexico, music, party, sewing, storytelling, traditions, weather, weaving

All my stripes: A story for children with autism | by Rudolph, Shaina & Royer, Danielle

Zane worries that his "autism stripes" makes him stand out from his peers. Zane's mom helps him understand the different ways that he unique from other kids his age. Whether it is art, math, or science class, Zane learns to do his best. And his mom reminds him to use his pilot stripe, caring stripe, honesty stripe, and curiosity stripe to be himself at school.

Keywords: author's note, autism, caring, communication, curiosity, differences, direction, fear, feelings, food, honesty, learning, love, perspective, school, science, zebra

Boycott blues: How Rosa Parks inspired a nation | by Pinkney, Andrea Davis

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus because of her race, sparking a social movement to end segregation enforced by the Jim Crow laws.Following the arrest of Rosa Park, her supporters refused to ride the community bus system during the Montgomery bus boycott. Despite the struggles of this protest, the Jim Crow laws were eventually overturned due to the spark that Rosa Parks ignited to motivate a generation to stay resolute in their pursuit of justice.

Keywords: aggression, ambition, america, author's note, beliefs, boycott, bravery, challenges, change, conflict, courage, determination, discrimination, history, music, onomatopoeia, prejudice, protest

The notebook keeper: A story of kindness from the border | by Briseno, Stephen

Families seeking asylum into the U.S. at the Tijuana, Mexico border have to wait for a long time to enter the United States after being denied entry. During the wait at the border, a girl and her mother look for a refugee who keeps a list of people waiting to cross into the United States. This act of kindness from the border, initiated by a notebook keeper, gives families hope as they wait.

Keywords: asylum, author's note, central america, change, correspondence, Days of the Week, El Salvador, faith, feelings, food, guatemalan, haitian, history, hope, kindness, loneliness, loss, Mexico, multicultural, numbers, patience, perspective, refugee, safety, silence, travel, volunteer, writing

The coquies still sing: A story of home, hope, and rebuilding | by Gonzalez, Karina Nicole

After a terrible hurricane, the family garden is gone and there's no electricity or running water. The mango tree still stands brown and bare, and the native tree frogs stop singing their song. As the family starts the island clean up around their Puerto Rican home, the native coqui's song begins a slow resurgence months after the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

Keywords: amphibians, animals, author's note, books, destruction, electricity, emergency, feelings, frog, garden, grandparents, hope, hurricane, illustrator's note, light, love, neighbors, plants, puerto rico, radio, rain, seed, song, stars, tree, weather

Quinnie blue | by Johnson, Dinah

Hattie wonders about the activities of her grandmother Quinnie Blue when she was little. Trips to Carolina, singing, eating, reciting poems, and braiding hair with her family come to mind.

Keywords: african american, author's note, body parts, celebration, church, easter, family, food, games, generations, grandparents, identity, instruments, multicultural, music, nutrition, picnic, song, traditions, trees

Mary wears what she wants | by Negley, Keith

One day, a young girl named Mary decided to wear pants instead of dresses at a time when girls always wore dresses. Mary took her very daring idea into town where she was challenged by people for wearing boys clothes. Mary reminded them that "Im wearing MY clothes".

Keywords: alphabet, appreciation, author's note, change, clothing, feelings, gymnastics, history, imagination, school, sleep, worry

Hello lighthouse | by Blackall, Sophie

A lighthouse keeper fills the lamp, trims the wick, and keeps a logbook while living in the lighthouse. The tender regularly brings him food and supplies from the mainland, even bringing the keeper's wife to join him. One day, the keeper is asked to leave the newly automated lighthouse because his work is no longer needed, but his family will always cherish their time there.

Keywords: author's note, bodies of water, careers, correspondence, fish, fishing, fog, loneliness, new baby, photograph, pregnancy, rescue, ship, sun, transportation, weather, wind, writing

Where wonder grows | by Gonzalez, Xelena

When Grandma goes to her garden, her grandchildren follow so they can gather magic rocks and relics from nature. They use the rocks to learn more about the world and earth. And the rocks are used to send songs and prayers through the air to their ancestors. Down into the water, they dive to see the rocks. Grandma reminds her granddaughters that "water names and breaks even the biggest rocks, very slowly, over time. So when life feels too hard, just remember to go with the flow".

Keywords: author's note, bodies of water, colors, earth, fish, garden, grandparents, multicultural, mystery, native american, nature, night, perspective, rocks, shells, space, traditions

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